They didn’t get all the money they hoped for, and there are a couple of tight deadlines to meet, but New York City — and state — officials should be happy that the federal Transportation Department was willing to overlook the lateness and lameness of their application and fund a “congestion pricing” traffic control plan to the tune of $354 million. That’s too large a chunk of money to say no to, and the idea has plenty of merit besides. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan was to impose tolls of $8 per car and $21 per truck for travel south of 86th Street in Manhattan on weekdays — the idea being to give motorists a greater incentive to take public transportation or to at least plan trips to midtown during at other times. It made sense not only in terms of reducing some of the city’s monumental traffic congestion but in improving its air quality because cars and trucks generate a lot of smog while sitting bumper-to-bumper hour after hour. According to a recent Wall Street Journal story, a similar program in London has reduced traffi c and smog emissions in that city 16 percent. Unfortunately, the city needed the state Legislature’s consent, and some political opposition emerged. The upshot is that a commission was created, which has to report back to the Legislature by the end of January. That would be too late for the 90-day deadline imposed by the feds in announcing the tentative grant. And if the Legislature does fast-track its effort and get a plan approved within 90 days of reconvening this fall, it will have to implement the program by March 2009. That may seem like plenty of time, but considering the state’s dismal performance with voting machine replacements, who knows? Still, the Legislature should try to get this ironed out and implemented in a timely manner.
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Tony
August 17, 2007, 12:15pm
Guest User
This would be a very bad idea. It costs too much money to live in New York State right now. Putting another expense on these folks would not be a good idea. And people would not want to move here with all of these prices. The people pay a lot of taxes just in their gas prices and then to have this added price would make it even worse. More people will just move out. It would not encourage businesses to move here or to even stay here in New York State. It would be another added expense for them.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan was to impose tolls of $8 per car and $21 per truck
This is a nice advertisemnet for 'I LOVE NEW YORK'! and 'COME HERE TO LIVE'. and 'COME AND START A BUSINESS HERE'!! Pallleeezzzzeee!!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Let the Democrats add this new tax to all their constituents down there. They can finally see what it feels like to have no clue why you're being taxed for something as mundane as trying to drive in a certain area (i.e. the NYS Taxway). They can use the money to fund things in NYC and we'll keep our money up here. They don't like this idea, maybe they can find a way to decrease other taxes that these cars and trucks would have to pay each day, maybe on the gas taxes. I don't think you could save that much per day, but on a fleet, statewide, I'm sure that you could save > $100 per day on trucks with lower gas taxes.
Actually it costs a fortune to live in the city. And they do charge to cross the bridges there. i.e. Tapenzee Bridge. If I lived in the city, I would feel like I was being punished for 'driving'. Ya know, that thing called 'choice and freedom'. I guess our choices and freedoms have not just beome almost a thing of the past, but also very expensive. They are actually forcing people to take public transportation. I persoanlly HATE public transportation, so I guess if I lived there, I would clearly have to get a second job just to drive! These politicians need to get a life and a REAL job!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Bumble you're right, this is just NYC's way of forcing everyone to take public transportation so that the muggers don't have to work so hard finding victims as we'll all be on subways or on elevated trains.
17 are appointed to NYC congestion pricing commission BY SARA KUGLER The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The 17 members of a commission that will study Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to charge motorists fees when entering parts of Manhattan were announced on Tuesday, and most already favor the idea. The commission will examine the overall concept of reducing traffic, with an emphasis on Bloomberg’s plan for tolling drivers as a way to get more people onto mass transit. The group will make a recommendation by the end of January. If it does not approve Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan, it must recommend another solution that projects at least a 6 percent decrease in traffic, which is the reduction forecast by Bloomberg for his plan. The federal government has promised to kick in $354 million toward the city’s traffic mitigation plans if Bloomberg can get the commission, the City Council and the state Legislature to sign on by March of next year. As the commission begins the review process, Bloomberg appears to have a majority of congestion pricing supporters. At least 10 of the appointees are in favor of the idea. The members appointed by Bloomberg are: his Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Kahn; Gene Russianoff from the New York Public Interest Research Group and the Straphangers Campaign; and civil rights attorney Elizabeth Yeampierre, who serves on the mayor’s planning board. Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s members are also in favor. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver appointed two members who staunchly oppose congestion pricing: Assemblyman Herman Farrell Jr. and Assemblyman Richard Brodsky. He also appointed Assemblywoman Vivian Cook, whose position was unknown. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno appointed a congestion pricing supporter, and two whose positions were not known. Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco appointed a supporter, Andy Darrell, Environmental Defense New York regional director. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn appointed two clear supporters, Drum Major Institute Executive Director Andrea Batista Schlesinger and Kathryn Wylde, president of Partnership for New York City.
The city of NY is going to force people to use mass transit or to pay a fee to drive there themselves. I think that it'll cut down on the number of people visiting NYC and may result in a loss of revenue from tourism. Personally I wouldn't go to NYC even iof they paid me to go there. The city is full of theives, scammers, it's dirty, and a place that you can get yourself in trouble in a real big hurry.
And to think, what type of benefits are these people new to the bureaucracy going to request demand? Well, I guess we just added another level of management downstate. I wonder how much Shelly and Ellie are going to need to "fund" this group.
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